Reality and perception colliding for Ohio State

COLUMBUS -- Ohio State has won its first four football games, so mathematically a 12-0 season is possible.

Possible, but not probable, if the Buckeyes continue to play the way they have in those first four games, though.

The giddy dreams of a scoring machine for an offense and a dominating defense might have to be replaced by a more realistic vision.

This is a team that appears to be a work in progress. And, at times, progress has been elusive.

Ohio State has not exactly come out of the preseason part of its schedule nailing every high note.

After dominating Miami of Ohio in the opener, OSU has struggled more than expected against Central Florida, against Alabama-Birmingham in a 29-15 win. Alabama-Birmingham was expected to be the weakest opponent yet on OSU's schedule.

It doesn't get any weaker than ranking last nationally, which is what UAB was ranked in scoring defense coming into the game.

Ohio State was expected to make a statement. Instead, it just kind of trailed off in mid-sentence and left a lot of things unclear and unspoken.

This team is not where fans expected it to be. It is not where coach Urban Meyer thought it would be.

It's young. It's hurt. It doesn't have enough depth.

It doesn't tackle well. It commits costly penalties. Guys who should know better aren't doing what they're supposed to do.

Those are just a few of the explanations offered.

Add in the transition to a new way of playing offense and defense with a mostly new coaching staff and some growing pains probably ought to be expected.

And don't forget that much of this talent produced a 6-7 season a year ago and that many of the players on the roster were recruited to fit a different system.